For All Zodiac Signs

MERCURY JUST STARTED WHAT’S CALLED IT’S SHADOW Period on October 29th! NEARLY 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO ITS ACTUAL RETROGRADE CYCLE!

Mercury Retrograde:
November 16 to December 6, 2018, in Sagittarius and Scorpio.

This affects all of us, how does it affect you?

Mercury the planet of communication starts to slow down its speed once again, and prepares itself by coming to a screeching halt 2 to 3 times a year, and then proceeds to appear to move backward for a 3 week time, and this is called the RETROGRADE period!

But there’s a time frame before and after it’s actual RETROGRADE cycle called the SHADOW PERIOD, that starts 3 weeks prior to its Retrograde cycle and 2 weeks after, and during these cycles there can be more confusion as we adjust to MERCURY slowing down as it can cause sort of a ruckus, miscommunications, and electronic snafus.

With MERCURY’S slow down and stopping to go into its Retrograde cycle, we need to be patient with other folks and their confusion, frustration, mistakes, and so on, and don’t forget to do the same with yourself! Things like computers, smartphones, cars and all things electronic can be glitchy or have minor annoyances. It’s just best to wait it out because this problematic phase will pass and all these snafus and glitches usually will correct themselves. One key rule during the Shadow period is to not overdo things and make too big of a deal out of it if you can, (unlike me lol) because these issues are usually temporary!

With MERCURY RETROGRADE our thinking is thrown off, and so is our perception of things. So mistakes, misunderstandings, and problems involving communication are likely. It’s not a good time to sign contracts, make new agreements, buy anything brand new, or begin new projects. It’s an excellent time to research, revisit, plan, and prepare for something later. Remember Mercury likes to take us back literally to our past when it’s in Retrograde, so back to old friends and lovers, and even behaviors and lessons to learn something we didn’t the first go around.

Some Astrologers consider Mercury to be stronger when it is Retrograde because it is closest to the earth than at any other time during its orbit. So Mercury will be between the Earth and the Sun. The fact that Mercury is strong though, doesn’t mean life will go smoothly, hence Mercury Retrogrades bad reputation. An Astrologer once described Mercury Retrograde as Mercury going down into the Underworld and making us walk through that shadowy part of our mind and consciousness!

Since Mercury rules over our thoughts, minds, and how we process information this theory makes a whole lot of sense. We have to adjust to this period to understand it’s odd influence on our planet and our minds, it’s like putting on night vision goggles and discovering a whole new world that our minds have to explore and relearn how to understand. And each Retrograde comes with its own set of lessons for us to learn from, because each one is in a different Zodiac Sign, and that changes them up a bit.

We should try and understand that Mercury slows things down while in Retrograde, as our minds start processing information differently during the Shadow phase, we have to adjust to the way we see things and use our minds. This has a strong impact on how we communicate, and around anything that involves the way we communicate like technology of all kinds, and traveling as well. There can be more delays and misunderstandings during all of Mercury Retrogrades cycle honestly, as the energy out there can feel just stuck, off, or stagnant. Give yourself extra time when traveling and driving, be cautious and careful out there to avoid mistakes and accidents! There are also a lot of accidents during a Mercury Retrograde Shadow period simply because people feel discombobulated, and lose their focus, so take things slow.

Take care of your body and well-being, some folks get sick due to this transit because they are trying to pack too many things in their schedule and simply can’t keep up like usual and become overwhelmed and stressed out! Only take things day by day if at all possible.

One rule of thumb you can start to do now is to make sure everything you own that is electronical is up to par and has been serviced or backed up in some way, including your cars. If you have to travel during this time plan ahead and expect delays so you are not time crunched and avoid problems.

You’ll notice a lot of Astrologers will say “Don’t do this!” or “Don’t do that!” during this cycle, but it’s important to remember not to stop your life during this time. It’s not the best idea to sign anything of commitment during a Mercury in Retro phase, but that doesn’t mean if you feel really good about it, you shouldn’t take a good opportunity either. Follow your intuition and check in often with your higher-self, and see what answers you get.